Charming
by llAurorall
Summary: She took on a few of your more charming personality traits for a while but we lived through it... X1 Rogue and Logan's charming qualities.


**Charming**

Jean hovered over Logan's bedside, pointlessly reading and re-reading charts and summaries, desperately trying to find some sign of life in her fallen friend. He'd been lying comatose in the infirmary for over a week now and Jean worried whether or not the Wolverine would ever wake again. He still bled from the wounds given to him by Sabertooth and all the telepath could do was re-dress them, hoping that Logan's mutation would eventually save him.

On the tenth morning of Jean's vigil, she came over to Logan's side as usual and pulled the soiled bandages away from his lacerated flesh. But as the gauze and dressing peeled away, Jean noticed the flawless skin underneath, a little pink with dried blood but perfectly mended and sewn together. Jean hurriedly moved across Logan's skin to each of the bandages in turn, hoping for the same improvement. With every healed wound that greeted her, Jean's breath stalled in her throat. She moved her hands down Logan's abdomen to the final wound, grazing across his skin and hair and gasping out loud as the Wolverine's hands suddenly grabbed her own.

"Ugh, that tickles." He grunted, eyes still half closed and voice thick with sleep. But despite the shock, Jean still managed to smile at the man, genuinely pleased with his recovery.

"Hey." She whispered to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Fantastic." Logan muttered back, his eyes now mostly open and looking up at her. In truth he still felt awful.

"That was a brave thing you did." Jean said, still unable to do anything but grin.

"Did it work?" He asked, suddenly remembering why he'd been unconscious for so long.

"Yeah." Jean assured, her thoughts drifting back. "She's fine. She took on a few of your more charming personality traits for a while..."

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Logan's limp and lifeless form hung precariously between Scott and Ororo as they scrambled to get him to the infirmary as quickly as possible. He still bled profusely from his wounds and the two x-men were stumbling and slipping under the sheer weight. It didn't help that Rogue was clamouring about them, yelling compulsive insults at Scott's incompetence and the team's uselessness altogether.

Jean had run on ahead and was making preparations to perform the needed surgery. It was looking dangerously like Logan's sacrifice would be his dying act…

Rogue reached the lab first, her eyes wide with panic and confusion. Behind her, Scott and Ororo hauled Logan onto a medical bed and Jean began her work.

As Logan was removed from his leather uniform and the true extent of the damage became visible, Rogue felt the sudden surge of a mentality that was not her own. She turned on her heel, rage coursing through her every fibre, and using a strength stolen from Logan, she grasped Scott by the collar and pinned him up against the infirmary wall.

She growled, low and deep in her throat and although it wasn't a mutation Rogue possessed, Scott could almost see an adamantium claw creeping out from between her knuckles to be held over his jugular. The muscles in his neck corded as he tried in vain to escape the young teen's grip but it was no use; she was just as strong as Logan.

"If he dies…" She whispered to him.

Scott straightened out his collar in attempt to recover his composure as he watched Rogue leave the infirmary. Storm held out a hand for him which he took gratefully, hauling himself back to his feet. They both watched in horrified awe as the young woman walked away, leaving no doubt in either mutant's mind about what the consequences might be if Logan were to die.

Jean watched Rogue go with a pitied expression. No matter how the guilt twisted Rogue's gut, Jean worried that it would just have to be something she learned to live with…

It was days before anyone saw Rogue in social terms. She'd taken to her room, pacing back and forth to while away the hours and fighting through the onslaught of Logan's memories, his feelings and his personality. The battle was far from over, which everyone could see, but Rogue was beginning turn the tide and reclaim herself. Aside from a few spurts of testosterone, she seemed to be fine. Sort of…

Rogue sat at a stool in the kitchen, legs spread either side of her, with elbows resting on the tiled counter. She had her index finger wrapped around the neck of a beer bottle and was casually swigging the amber liquid to the back of her throat. John's zippo lighter was resting next to her elbow along with a half smoked cigar she intended on finishing.

"Mornin', Red." Rogue said casually as Jean wandered into the Kitchen. The elder woman abruptly stopped in her tracks at the scene before, reaching over the worktop to snatch both beer and cigar from Rogue's grasp.

"What on earth are you doing?" She yelled incredulously, having a little trouble prying the items from Rogue's fingers.

"Can't a guy enjoy a quiet breakfast?" Rogue shot back, blinking as she realised what she had said. She released the beer and cigar immediately and promptly crossed her legs over, suddenly very aware of her very unladylike position. "Sorry… It's Logan…" The teen offered. Jean let it slide and tossed the cigar into the trash whilst pouring the leftover beer down the sink.

"Did you sleep well?" Jean asked, trying to relax the room again.

Yo, Jail Bait, d'ya think you could tug that down just a little?" Jean blanched and turned quickly to see Jubilee hastily pulling down her shorter than short nightgown, Rogue openly taking in the other girls figure. The embarrassed teen quickly left the kitchen again and Rogue leant over the counter to watch her go, still appreciating the view.

"Logan!" Jean smacked her hand down on the table in front of Rogue and called the girl back to her senses. They looked at each other for a few moments till Rogue was herself once more and the brunette groaned.

"Shoot me now." Rogue begged, her face falling forward onto the table with a muffled groan. Jean did her best not to smirk at the younger girl; she couldn't imagine what it must be like to suddenly feel like a guy, especially a guy like Logan.

"Why don't you go for a walk or something, sweetie?"

Rogue sighed and lifted herself from the table, snatching up Pyro's lighter before making for the mansion grounds, being careful to keep a safe distance from the student quarters lest she run into more scantily clad women. She'd been walking through the gardens for some time, cigar firmly between lips, before she caught a glimpse of Scott and Jean.

The two were stood close together underneath the shade of a willow. It was obvious they were sharing an intimate moment and immediately Rogue felt a surge of jealousy overtake her. She watched as Scott brought Jean's fingers to his lips and kissed them softly, drawing the woman into his waiting arms. The scene was making her feel sick and she strode out from the shrubbery just as they were about to kiss.

Jean and Scott broke apart immediately and Rogue waltzed past them, puffing out a ring of smoke. She winked at Jean, her lips curled in a smirk as she appraised the other woman through Logan's eyes, revelling in the sneer of Scott's disapproval.

"Lookin' good…" She threw over her shoulder and Jean had to physically grab Scott to keep him from throwing himself at Rogue.

"Let it go, Scott… She can't help it." Jean's soothing words did little to quell Scott's temper and he watched Rogue walk away from him, back into the mansion, gritting his teeth all the while.

Determined not to let this carry on any longer and pull Rogue back to her senses, Scott hunted her down that evening and finally found the girl in the dojo. She was dressed in loose clothes and sparring her way across the matted floor, burning off her new found stamina.

"Rogue, this has got to stop." Scott entered the dojo and put himself directly in Rogue's path.

"Get lost, choir boy." She retorted. Logan was still in her mind, cursing over the scene he'd witnessed in the garden and he was in no mood to put up with Scott's preaching. When Cyclops refused to go, Rogue tried a different tact and confronted him face-on. "I told you to take a hike." She growled.

"You're not Logan, Rogue."

Rogue grabbed Scott's collar and tugged on it hard. "You'll be my next punch-bag if you ain't careful."

It was already done before Scott could stop himself, or even consider why he'd done it in the first place. But when his thoughts did clear and he could see the blood leaking from Rogue's nose, feel a dull ache in his knuckles and he'd never felt so guilty in his life. He'd just hit a young woman because he was angry at fully-grown man; a comatose one at that.

Thankfully, Rogue still possessed some of Logan's mutation and although she still bled, it had saved her nose from breaking. And unfortunately for Scott, that very same mutation was what gave her Logan's superior strength.

Her first punch went under his chin and his jaw crashed together with a satisfying crunch. The second hit collided with his right cheekbone and Scott's skin purpled immediately. He was too dazed and confused to fight back and when Rogue landed a punch to his solar-plexus, he doubled over in pain, gasping for breath.

"Shall I tell Jean she's dating a pansy, or shall we keep it our little secret?" Rogue taunted, kneeling down over his curled up body. Scott didn't give a reply and Rogue laughed in his face, leaving him in a heap on the dojo floor.

Rogue rounded the corner to her bedroom, still growling and cursing under her breath. There was a thin rivulet of blood dribbling down from her nose and a feint coppery taste in her mouth. Scott may have landed a lucky punch but in the end she'd decked him, the Logan influencing her actions howling in triumph. Right now, all Rogue wanted was to lay down in her bed and be herself. Unfortunately, Bobby Drake seemed to have picked this moment to be waiting for her.

She groaned inwardly and attempted to turn around but it was already too late, he'd seen her and was now pursuing her escape.

"Rogue, wait!"

"Not now, Bobby; I'm not in the mood." Rogue made it out of her bedroom and carried down the halls, to nowhere in particular, just trying to escape her aspiring boyfriend. She knew he was interested in her but right now, still feeling very much like a guy, all Rogue wanted to do was get as far away as possible form the little screwball.

"But I just wanted to talk to you for a minute." He persisted, grabbing her arm while she continued to walk away and spinning her to face him, then letting go immediately at the sight of blood on her face and lips. "What the hell happened to you?" He asked, the concern evident in his voice.

"Nothing." She practically growled at him, annoyance of being caught and fussed over provoking her inner-Logan.

Bobby didn't seem to notice her change of mood and quite aptly ignored her obvious injuries in favour of the questions he'd been reciting all day. His fingers knotted themselves together and tumbled over his knuckles, he chewed on his lower lip nervously and his skin started to take on a sweaty sheen. Rogue blanched, her brain suddenly realising what Bobby wanted to talk to her about.

"Rogue, I… I just wanted to say that I… That you're smart and pretty, you're funny and cool to hang around with and that I- I like you and umm… I was wondering if you'd like to -if you would- go … out … with me … sometime…"

Unfortunately, Bobby's confession had gone to the wrong person. Completely acting as Logan, Rogue advanced on Bobby, herding him up against the nearest wall. He swallowed when she came close to him in a way that could only be considered as threatening.

"If you _ever_, tell _anyone_ what you just said to me, I will personally rip out your entrails and feed them to you. Got it?" Bobby was too stunned to speak and too terrified to move. He watched as Rogue stormed away, wondering what the hell it was he'd said wrong.

She needed a shower, a beer and a cigar. She needed lots of beer to take this day away.

Swigging back another beer in Logan's room and shuddering every time she thought about Bobby, a guy, hitting on her, Rogue made for the shower, shedding her clothes as she went. She was still completely under Logan's influence and moved about the room as if she'd been living there for the past few days. Scott and Jean were just down the hall she knew and that made her grin for some reason.

Completely naked, she walked into the bathroom and was greeted by the sight of herself in the mirror. The beer bottle dropped from her grasp immediately and shattered into a million floating pieces. And the scream that echoed through the mansion brought nearly everyone running to her room. She tried to cover herself with a towel but in her panic it kept falling from her grasp. It was only haphazardly placed over her front when Jean burst into the room, followed by Storm and several other pupils.

When they all realised she was naked under the towel, everyone but Storm and Jean left, making sure that the door was closed.

"I saw her naked! I saw her naked! Oh, God, I saw her naked!" Rogue was frantic, looking almost as if she was going to be sick. Jean stepped forward to cautiously wrap the towel a little tighter around Rogue and calm her down, but it was Storm who spoke.

"Honey, it's going to be fine." She said in a soft and calming voice. "You'll get through this. We'll help you…"

"I just want him to leave me alone." Rogue almost sobbed.

"We know." Jean soothed, settling Rogue into the bed and using her powers to calm her. "We know…"

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Logan chuckled and thought of what Jean considered to be his 'more charming personality traits' and briefly wondered what kind of trouble Rogue had managed to get herself into while he'd been asleep. With his influence, he imagined that a few embarrassing scenarios had played out.

"But we lived through it." Jean assured, grinning herself, at the memories.


End file.
